September 27th, 2017
“You’re from Fargo so you must know Kipp G”
This was the first thing that rapper Benjamin Laub -- better known as Grieves -- said to me when we started this interview.
He has been to Fargo a handful of times over the last 10 years, a place that he says is very sentimental to him. “It was one of the first places I started going on tour,” he said.
He will make his next stop this Monday, October 2nd at The Aquarium supporting his awesome new record, “Running Wild.”
The first…
September 27th, 2017
In 2010, local hero Andrea Anderson and I went to the House of Blues in L.A. with a couple of friends. We were told we were seeing a “joke metal band.”
My most vivid memory of that night was being enraged at PBR being $10 per can; second to that was laughing my ass off in between bursts of this “joke” band nailing Van Halen, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest songs like they’d written the songs themselves.
My memory gets fuzzy after that. But I sort of remember two shirtless women…
September 20th, 2017
Fall is arriving, and that of course means that the new season of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra’s “Masterworks” series sponsored by Sanford Health is right around the corner.
In the last couple concert seasons they have performed some truly gala events, with many universally recognized and occasionally bombastic pieces, such as Orff’s “Carmina Burana” or Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” that were bound to delight both newcomers and regular concertgoers.
This…
September 20th, 2017
When you disembark from the plane in Vegas, the first thing you encounter is slot machines.
The airport is a strange combination of a sh*tty casino and an overpriced mall. As you stand and wait for your $13 whopper you begin to notice the stream of outsiders filtering in -- every 15 minutes, a consistent flow of tourists from all around the globe, with dollars in their pockets, looking to make their fortune.
The next thing you notice is the oppressive, crushing weight of the heat. Being…
September 13th, 2017
Minneapolis-based rock and rollers are turning up the heat, that is to say Lutheran Heat. The band consists of Garth Blomberg on guitar and vocals; Sara Pette, guitar and vocals; Matt Engelstad, bass and vocals; and Justin Nelles on drums. Though hailing from the Twin Cities, Blomberg and Nelles are no strangers to the F-M music scene.
High Plains Reader: Where did the name Lutheran Heat come from? Second--Do you get any heat from the Lutherans on your name?
Matt Engelstad: Dave (Dave…
September 6th, 2017
I’m sure you’ve noticed that I write my fair share of articles about the music scene in Fargo-Moorhead. It is my honest opinion that many people don’t realize what an awesome music scene we have in this town. There was a time I didn’t, to be frank.
If there are people as much if not more devoted to promoting the local music scene, they’re certainly the DJs at KRFF. Recently I had the opportunity to interview Martin Beckman, who DJs “Locals on the 8” and “Thursday Night…
September 6th, 2017
On September 9, The Aquarium will erupt with the sounds of New Track City, Federal Way Washington’s very own hip-hop trio that produces their signature sound with a convergence of Jazz, Soul and Alternative. With Bem and Chi.Stone rapping and Dru on the beats, New Track City Brings the heat.
The Washington trio lays everything out on the table, and lets the chips fall where they may. Their all-in mentality produces an original sound that is clearly represented with their two online…
September 6th, 2017
Geoff Downes on the evolution of Yes
Since its inception in 1968 prog rock pioneers Yes have been breaking boundaries with complex soundscapes and experimental sounds, and their oeuvre has been constantly evolving. High Plains Reader had the opportunity to chat with Geoff Downes vocalist and keyboardist for Yes. Downes joined the band in 1980.
High Plains Reader: Is it true that you broke a Guinness World Record by playing 28 keyboards on stage?
Geoff Downes: I did that once in 1983 at a…
August 30th, 2017
Raitt on her blues beginnings and activist roots
Rated one of the top 100 guitarists of all time in 2015 and top 100 singers of all time in 2010 by Rolling Stone and with 45 years in the business, Bonnie Raitt is definitely giving ‘em, something to talk about.
High Plains Reader: You found your musical roots at an early age--can you tell us about that?
Bonnie Raitt: I grew up in a very musical family. My dad was a Broadway leading man and Broadway star. He created the role of Billy…
August 23rd, 2017
The “big band” is truly ubiquitous in the United States. Ever since the jazz-influenced genre of music first appeared and had its peak popularity in the 1930s and 1940s, it has stuck around, even having a resurgence in the 1990s and still being listened to this day.
No matter the musical innovations that come and go, we always seem to to return to the big band. Perhaps it’s because it is such a traditionally and uniquely American musical tradition, perhaps because it calls to mind…
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By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com Ten North Dakota communities will participate in the nationwide No Kings Day of Peaceful Action on October 18. The grassroots movement is a nonviolent protest against President Trump’s…
By Michael M. Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu I would like to recognize some of the scholarly Germans from Russia from Canada and USA shared on the GRHC website. There are additional names not included here. If you have suggestions…
Friday, October 31, doors 8 p.m. show starts at 8:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe annual Aquarium Halloween Cover Show is back and it is stacked. And this time there are a limited amount of presale…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com At the end of September, downtown Fargo said goodbye to another old friend; the Spirit Room closed its doors, marking the end of an era. The Spirit Room room has been a fixture downtown for the…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA Supreme Court umpire should call for replays on every actFor more than 20 years I have been wondering what makes Chief Justice John Roberts tick. During a Senate confirmation hearing he slid and…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gion and Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com As a reflection on our perilous political landscape, “Bugonia,” from the ever curious and boundary-stretching auteur Yorgos Lanthimos, joins several other 2025 releases that have something…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Gallery 4 downtown recently celebrated its 50 year anniversary, making it one of the longest consecutively running galleries in the country. With different membership tiers, there are 17 primary…
Press release“Shakespeare with a sharpened edge.” To launch its 2025 – 2026 season, Theatre NDSU is thrilled to team up with Moorhead-based organization Theatre B to perform a co-production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com When we are sick, all we want is a cure. You go to the doctor, they give you a pill, you take it for a bit, then you are cured. It happens. But unfortunately, it is not always the case. …
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.comMoral accountability and the crisis of leadership As a recovering person living one day at a time for the last 35 years, I have learned not to judge others because I have not walked in…
